Post by osprey on May 23, 2007 20:54:01 GMT -5
Okay, I'm tired and need to get to bed, but I'll try and get this typed. What a last day. 
Went up to the public tract where I saw and heard that gobbler Monday while at work doing larval inspections, I was the only truck in the lot and had the place to myself, over 400 acres. Hiked in a ways to the first trail intersection and listened at daybreak, but no gobbles. Oh well, back to the Jeep, got the pop-up blind and the comfy foldup chair, hiked in even farther to where I'd seen that bird, set the blind on the edge of the logging trail and the jake and hen decoys in the open lane. By 6:30 was set and calling. Nothing. 7am I called again, still nothing. Okay, I'll sit until at least 10am, thought I.
At 7:20 I heard a hen yelping 150 yards back up the trail, at least in that direction. Cool. Twice earlier this year I'd had hens calling and called them in, it at least makes for good practice. So I start answering with whatever she's yelping. I call, she answers. She calls, I answer. But she's hung up at 100 yards. I switch strikers on my slate, trying to crank her up, but she goes silent and never answers that one. 5 Minutes later I go back to the first striker and she lights it up, cutting and yelping. Maybe she's got a gobbler with her, I hoped.
Finally, after 20-30 minutes of this, she sounds close. Then 30 yards away I see the blue head bob through some leaves. He's on the edge of the fire trail, in the saplings and maple leaves. Put the gun up, but can't see him. Put the gun down, get the binocs, look as hard as I can through the growth, but nothing. A few minutes and some more hen calling later he moves again, blue head flashing through the leaves. I can just picture him there fluffed up, waiting for the hen to move, too smart and hard hunted to stick his head out in the open fire trail. Still can't see the hen! C'mon, just step to the right into the trail, or left into dry ditch, either way I've got a shot. Gun is up, I'm ready, but he won't do it. Finally I see movement heading left, his big blue head bobs through the leaves toward the dry, open ditch, and I EASE the safety off so the CLICK won't scare him. He steps into the opening and...
...
...
I'm staring at two legs, covered with faded blue jeans between the tops of calf high rubber boots and the bottom hem of a camo jacket!!!!
Click the safety back on and say loudly and firmly STOP! YOU ARE STALKING MY DECOYS! Never do see the guy's face or above his belt, but he freezes, stiffens, then turns and walks quickly away down the trail, probably with a load in his drawers. Talk about close. I was 100% sure that was a gobbler, from the way the call sounded to the way he responded and acted. If he'd been unlucky enough to have somebody with buck fever, anxous to kill a bird on the last day, somebody just starting and not experienced?
Man that was TOOOOO close. It's just now hitting me how close, at the time I was just PO'd anybody could be tha stupid and come that close to putting me in such a bad situation.
Two of the cardinal rules of turkey hunting are don't wear red, white or blue and never stalk hen calls!!!!!
And I still don't have a clue where he came from, was never a car at the only access lot.
Went up to the public tract where I saw and heard that gobbler Monday while at work doing larval inspections, I was the only truck in the lot and had the place to myself, over 400 acres. Hiked in a ways to the first trail intersection and listened at daybreak, but no gobbles. Oh well, back to the Jeep, got the pop-up blind and the comfy foldup chair, hiked in even farther to where I'd seen that bird, set the blind on the edge of the logging trail and the jake and hen decoys in the open lane. By 6:30 was set and calling. Nothing. 7am I called again, still nothing. Okay, I'll sit until at least 10am, thought I.
At 7:20 I heard a hen yelping 150 yards back up the trail, at least in that direction. Cool. Twice earlier this year I'd had hens calling and called them in, it at least makes for good practice. So I start answering with whatever she's yelping. I call, she answers. She calls, I answer. But she's hung up at 100 yards. I switch strikers on my slate, trying to crank her up, but she goes silent and never answers that one. 5 Minutes later I go back to the first striker and she lights it up, cutting and yelping. Maybe she's got a gobbler with her, I hoped.
Finally, after 20-30 minutes of this, she sounds close. Then 30 yards away I see the blue head bob through some leaves. He's on the edge of the fire trail, in the saplings and maple leaves. Put the gun up, but can't see him. Put the gun down, get the binocs, look as hard as I can through the growth, but nothing. A few minutes and some more hen calling later he moves again, blue head flashing through the leaves. I can just picture him there fluffed up, waiting for the hen to move, too smart and hard hunted to stick his head out in the open fire trail. Still can't see the hen! C'mon, just step to the right into the trail, or left into dry ditch, either way I've got a shot. Gun is up, I'm ready, but he won't do it. Finally I see movement heading left, his big blue head bobs through the leaves toward the dry, open ditch, and I EASE the safety off so the CLICK won't scare him. He steps into the opening and...
...
...
I'm staring at two legs, covered with faded blue jeans between the tops of calf high rubber boots and the bottom hem of a camo jacket!!!!
Click the safety back on and say loudly and firmly STOP! YOU ARE STALKING MY DECOYS! Never do see the guy's face or above his belt, but he freezes, stiffens, then turns and walks quickly away down the trail, probably with a load in his drawers. Talk about close. I was 100% sure that was a gobbler, from the way the call sounded to the way he responded and acted. If he'd been unlucky enough to have somebody with buck fever, anxous to kill a bird on the last day, somebody just starting and not experienced?
Man that was TOOOOO close. It's just now hitting me how close, at the time I was just PO'd anybody could be tha stupid and come that close to putting me in such a bad situation. Two of the cardinal rules of turkey hunting are don't wear red, white or blue and never stalk hen calls!!!!!
And I still don't have a clue where he came from, was never a car at the only access lot.
